The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-12-08
The City of Witches.
THE DAYS OF WTTCHCRAFr. LEATHER AND
COTTON MANUFACTURERS. FATHER MATH-
EWS MONUMENT. THE TEMPERANCE CAUSE.
GOOD TEMPLARS.

GOOD TEMPLARS.
Correspondence of the Journal.
SALEM, MASS, Nov. 30, 1887. Well. here
we are. On the very spot where witches once
held sway and made night hdeous with their
howls. 1t Is hard for US of the present day to
realize that witchcraft once was a thing of
reality. Yet such was the case. But all that
has passed away, we trust, forever. The ever
revolving wheel of time has borne us beyond
such things. One by one, the human family
has grappled with and overcome its pet super
sttions, and belief in witchcraft is now
known as thing Of the past. Men 10 longer
hang inotfensive old women for the sake of
gratifying their superstitious ignorance; but,
having got beyond the pale of this. content
themselves with stringing up those characters
who would work ruin to the social and moral
life of our country. OF such we say, let them
hang.
1t may be that we of the present are not SO
free from belief in the uncannv as we ought
to be. Whether this be so or not is not for us
to say. But, Judging by the past, it seems rea-
sonable to suppose that future generations will
look back on our work of life. and smile in
calm superiority as they contrast that which
has been with that which is.
Well, we did not start out with the intention
of writing up superstitions, either past. pres
ent or future, but to tell the reader someth hing
about the city of Salem-"Home of our Puri-
tan fathers, fair city by the sea-
Unquestionably Salem is a wcl-to-,!o city as
cities go. Time has been when vast shipping
interests centered here, but all that has
away The decline of our shipping has made
sad havoc with the fleets that formerly found q
harbor here. and that passed to and fro be-
tween the great po,ts Of the world. The
coasting trade, we are told, has been forced to
yield to the quicker work of the railroads in Il
great measure. and we would not change the
freight car for the coastins vessel if we could.
An immense amount Of freight passes
through this city daily, en- route to the great
markets of the land, and the amount of tan
bark that is used in Salem annually is simply
wonderful. There are about fifty concern. ell
gagged IN the manufacture of leather. This in
dustry stands at the head of Salem'> nantifac-
men with profitable work. 1t might be inter
esting to give some of the figures of this in
dustry, but, scattered As it is over so much
territory we have been unable to obtain rcli-
able data of the different companies ard hence
are compelled to forbear.
Salem's next greatest industry is the man,!-
facture of cotton goods. While the making OF
leather is divided between some half hundred
companies, the cotton business is confined 10
one concern. the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Com
pany. The pant of this company is locate,
on what is known as Stage Point. which has
been the seat of manufacture from the earliest
life of the city. The y. S. c. company was i'll
corporated in 1889 with IA capital of $40. 900
but it was not until 1877 that the first mill wa,
built, at which time the working ca.tai had
been increased to 100000. At the present
time this concern has a capital of 81 800 ,O00-
fifteen times as much as it had when the tir>!
mill was erected forty year, ago. The mills
five in number, furnish work for l,354 opera.
tives, who are largely women and children
The average pay is about one dollar per day
and 100000 is paid the operatives for each
years work.
These mills are fitted up with 2,3a4 looms
and 100000 spindlcs To keep this vast ma
| chincry in operation. requires 10000 bales ol
cotton per year. Each bale weighs five hun.
dred pounds, making 4 total of S.ooo00(
pounds of raw cotton yearly. To furnish the
power necessary to carry on this vast business
about Ii 900 ton. of coal per annum are con
>umed.
Fitted up with every modern appliance fol
making work profitable and convenient. thcs,
mills are models in their way. Besides having
| well equipped fire department. composed OF
| the employees, the company has fitted thcil
factories with an automatic fire service. Thi,
service consists Of pipes with fusihIc tips st
arranged that in case of fire every inch OF
flooring in the buildings would be immeliatell
flooded. 1t is claimed. apparently with good
reason, that no company in the State has 4 bet
ter means of defence against fire.
Father Mathews monument is Il recent addi
ton to the monumental attractions of the city
Erected in honor of the great temperance re
former, it is a fitting tablet to his memory. We
iooStioH NHCtutI tllt illpiHtEN tl lilt apostle
OF temperance is to be better perpetlmtel by {;
monument than it otherwise would be- Wcr,
not the works of Father Mathews such that
they will live for all time: If it he true. a> il
Is, that no moral reform ever goes backward
then Theobald Mathews work will live by
means of its influence, long after hi, lnunl.
ment has been forgotten by the great masses OF
the people. 1t is well enough to erect montl-
ments to perpetuate the memory of men who
have left nothing from their lives whereby
they can be remembered. Father Mathew.
has living monument that Shall stand as ou4
as the human race continues to have an interest
in the Temperance war of the moral world
However we are not inclined to criticiSe th.
prevailing fashion of building monuments. fol
men have Il right 50 to do if they see fit. But
is there not a tendency to overdo the matter
Just a little:
Speaking of the great temperance worker
naturally leads us to the subject of temperance
work. 1t is here that we find reason for much
encouragement. In common with the greater
part of our country Massachusetts is at pres
ent agitatcd over the temperance issue. Per
haps no stronger agitation is felt in any part OF
the State at present than is found in this city
AS it is about to pass through an exciting
election, where the question of No License is
the one absorbing feature. there is plenty OF
work for the temperance people of the city t.
do. There is also Il great opposition 10 thi,
measure. Not only are the runnics oppose,
it but ha
well, altogether too well, for its defeat. HI,
prospect is that the measure will be defeated
The morning after Thanksgiving there Were
tWenty-three cases of simple drunks befor,
the authorities for trial. With such Il recor,
as that it would seem to be the duty of ever,
loyal man to vote no license. Yet the appetite,
of some men are stronger than their sense OF
justice. AT least, such seems to be the cas-,
very often. Well, tastes differ. There is
| lady passing down the street as write hold
ing sun-shade deliberately over her head
while just behind her comes another with her
hands tightly enveloped in Il winter mu,
Each probably acts according to the best judg
ment, but, how opposite are the results. 1t i,
but fair to suppose that the opponents of nc
license are acting as we'll as they know. That
is the charitable view of the question at any
rate. Even when sincere, a perverted judg.
ment Is capable of causing much harm. How
best to change the ideas and beliefs of such Is
question Of the utmost Importance. Before
Massachusetts shall have become a convert to
constitutional prohibition great moral awak-
ening has got to take place. Containing ST